A GREAT-grandmother is preparing to prove that age is no barrier as she takes on a charity walk at the age of 103.

Ruth Moon from Glencairn Care Home in Dorchester is planning to take on a seven-mile walk along Weymouth seafront on Saturday, February 22 to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society.

She will be accompanied by friends and family, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as they walk from Brewers Quay up to the Nothe Fort before heading through the town centre and along the seafront to Cafe Oasis at Bowleaze.

After recharging their batteries the walkers will then turn round and head back again.

Ruth said she wanted to ‘do some good’ and as she has lots of energy and enjoys walking she came up with the idea of the sponsored walk.

Son David said: “She said ‘I have got all this energy and I wanted to be able to do something with it’.”

Alzheimer’s is a cause close to Ruth’s heart as it has affected family members, with the spouses of two of her four children currently being treated for the condition. Ruth herself is aware that her short-term memory has almost gone completely and she can get confused easily while she also has lost the ability to read or follow television programmes.

However, David says she is still one of the most active residents at Glencairn Care Home and that was why she had decided to do the walk.

For many years Ruth gave up her time as a volunteer for Manchester University in their research into the ageing process and they still keep in touch with her.

David said: “It therefore seems very appropriate for her to do a charity walk to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society to support their fight against dementia.”

Ruth will be setting off from the car park behind Brewers Quay at around 10.30am on Saturday and hopes to reach the Cafe Oasis by about midday.

To sponsor her in her efforts visit justgiving.com/Ruth-Moon.